Deep Impact's son Command Line lands key two-year-old race as Classic hopes rise

Favourite Command Line, trained by Sakae Kunieda and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, justified his market billing at Tokyo on Saturday when landing one of the most important two-year-old races in the Japanese calendar, the Group 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup.

The mile contest on turf had gone to Danon Premium, Gran Alegria, Salios and Stella Veloce in the past four years and Command Line prevailed by quarter of a length.

The colt made ground from midfield and chased the leader before the turn into the home straight, taking the lead there and holding the fast-finishing second favourite Sternatia to win his first Graded stakes.

Third favourite Stunning Rose was just a neck back in third and the 1-2-3 were all owned by the Sunday Racing Co Ltd.

Command Line is by the late great Deep Impact out of Tiz Wonderful's Grade 1-winning mare Condo Commando and is now unbeaten in two starts.

Lemaire said: "I am very happy. He wasn't calm in the stalls so he started so slow. That was good though because I wanted to settle him near the rear position this time because it was his second race.

"The pace was so slow so I drove him to be nearer the front. I didn't worry because his response was good in the straight. The runner-up is a very good filly so I concentrated on riding him out. He still has room to grow, so I think he can go up a level. I'm looking forward to next year's Classic."

Runner-up Sternatia's rider Yuichi Fukunaga said: "The trainer and the staff trained her very well and she ran well and used her own stride until the last. The judgment of the winning jockey was excellent."

Command Line is considered one of the best colts from Deep Impact's 2019 crop and there are hopes he could provide trainer Kunieda with his first Japanese Derby winner.

When he won his debut race in June at Tokyo, Lemaire jokingly said that he would like to be booked to ride him in the 2022 Derby. He expressed his joy at the finish and those in the small crowd of 4,479 seated spectators who heard his remarks applauded.

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